I’ve been working from home for around 8 years now — something that I’m incredibly grateful for and don’t ever take for granted. Only last week, in fact, I was reading the blog of another mama who — as she’s a doctor by profession — is struggling to decide on whether she can even afford to go back to work. It’s a tough call and one I’m so thankful I don’t have to make.
That said, working from home offers it’s own set of conundrums. Not as heart-wrenching, I grant you, but problematic nevertheless.
Before I had the twins, I had a room on the 1st floor of our home, given over to my office equipment. And boy, do I have a lot of stuff.
When I was freelancing I had a laptop and a memory stick. These days I have two giant iMacs, an enormous printer and a lot of cardstock.
A LOT.
Plus hoards of magazines that I use for reference, my Pantone books, a folding machine, a couple of cutting machines… yep… these days I don’t travel light, that’s for sure.
All Change
But, in readiness for the twins’ arrival, bit by bit my ‘office’ was dismantled and moved to other locations. Even though we have another floor in our cottage, with another couple of spare bedrooms, the stairs to the top floor are steep and narrow and getting the desk — let alone the printer — up there would have needed magic, rather than brawn to get them up there.
Or the roof removed. Whichever was easiest.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I now have a desk in one corner of the dining room, that houses one of my Macs (the other has been relegated to it’s box under a bed). The ginormo printer also sits in the dining room. And this irks me no end. My desk is relatively good looking — it’s a piece I up-cycled and I love it — but the printer is big and ugly and it’s no shrinking violet, that’s for sure! It sits like a big fat elephant in the room.
So the piles of card stock have been squirrelled away in various locations too — an upstairs cupboard, the chest in our conservatory — and the rest of my paraphernalia has been shipped out to Dickie’s office (in another county) and is quietly residing there until the day comes that I can be reunited with it.
Which hopefully may come sooner than later!
A Garden Office
My boy and I have been talking about getting a garden office!! Note the heavy use of exclamation marks here — to say I’m MEGA-EXCITED about this prospect would be a huge understatement!
The thought of having a dedicated space to work in again and rid the house of all the clutter that my work brings with it, is a lovely thought. I’ve had a quick look and there are some fabulous ones on the market.
Some are hugely expensive, others less so. Some are really contemporary looking and clad in timber, others have a vintage feel and are painted. Some are even supplied in their raw state for you to put your mark on. The possibilities are endless and I’m so excited about the thought of having a new interior space to put my stamp on too!
These are the kind of things I’ve been looking at.
Perfect Spaces for Working from home
1. The Garden Office
2. Warwick Buildings
3. Dunster House
4. Warwick Buildings
5. Garden Spaces
At this stage, cost is a real factor but also what type of space would suit our property and garden. I’m veering towards a traditional looking building, similar to number 4, but that may all change once we start having a proper look at them.
Needless to say, I’m going to be writing quite a few more posts on the subject as we get round to organising it.
Oh these look fab, I bet you will be so happy to have a space outside the house! I am working indoors today, there are photo shoots set up all over the house! But I can’t wait to really start using my office more and having that discipline of being “at work” Love this post and love you for such a supportive email today thank you thank you xxxxxxxxx
Aaah thanks so much Lucy!! You would not believe quite how happy, having my own space will make me!! This life/work balance is hard enough, without feeling as though you can never separate the two. Thanks so much for reading and, re the email, I meant every word xxxxx
We had a garden office built last Autumn for my husband as he is trying to work from home a little bit more and the office he did have in the spare room has been gradually taken over. We’re just about to decorate it and get it up and running (it’s been too cold over the winter as the heating was set up).
I’m planning a post on it once we’re finished, it’s a more modern one but I love your number 4, I wish I’d seen that one before. xx
Aaah it’s SO lovely to have more space isn’t it? Even though we’re a couple of months from getting ours, the mere thought of not having my clutter in the house is such a lovely prospect!! I really look forward to seeing your post! Come and join in with our new homes & interiors linky when you’re done — HomeEtc — on a Wednesday. That would be the perfect kind of post to link up! :)
I’m well and truuuuly drooling here! I’ve just tonight been chatting to hubby saying that I would love, love, love a space in the garden to do reiki treatments in :) We’ve got a nice, big garden too… Nothing is impossible… :)
I absolutely can’t wait Carol!! It may take a bit of time to organise but I’m SO happy that my boy has finally agreed that we can do it :) Fingers crossed you get yours too x
Oh number 4 I love it, I so want to work from home just so I can have a garden office it would be so calming and incredible out there I know I would love it, cant wait to see which you choose x
Me too Sarah — love it :) It would make a change to having my dining room table strewn with my work stuff too — that would certainly make me feel a lot calmer!! LOL!
HOW EXCITING!!! I would adore a garden office. What an inspiring place to work. I can’t wait to see what you go for. Such a fun project!
I’ve a feeling it will be the more traditional variety Rachel :) To be honest I’m looking forward to decorating the inside more than the outside of it at the moment! ;) X
Ooooo how exciting! We always looking at beautiful summer houses that we can’t afford haha! I would adore to work from home but I would even more adore working from home from one of these beauties! I love number 4 – I think it’s very you!! xx
Aww I just can’t wait! Really excited to have a new ‘project’ too :)
Hi James — my name is Caro, not Nichole — but thanks so much for your message! ;) We’ll be planning our garden office in more detail and making a shortlist soon. I’m most looking forward to planning the interior! Really excited about it.
Lots more blog posts to come, on this subject, I’m sure..!
Ah yes, I’ve misread between the lines here! Hi Caro! Great, look forward to hearing more – please do get in touch if you’d like to know more.
Haha! Really — don’t worry :) Thanks so much! You’ve some absolutely lovely products.
My husband would love one of those garden offices. :-)
They’re amazing aren’t they?! I can’t wait to get planning properly! It will be lovely to have my dining room back again ;)
The first thing you should do is have a dinner party when you get your dining room back. :-) I can’t wait to see the outcome of the office too. I think it’s going to look amazing. x
HA! We’ve been having dinner parties, regardless!! Our guests have just learnt to ignore the GIANT printer in the corner of the room!! ;) Can’t wait for it not to be there! x